Gnome A Geddon

"Buck discovers that the world in his favorite novels is real, and he must intervene in a war between gnomes and trolls"--

Buck discovers that his favorite book series might be less fictional than he thought in this “silly, clever, [and] fun” (BCCB) middle grade adventure. Harry Potter. Percy Jackson. Custard the Gnome. Buck is a super fan of the book series, The Triumphant Gnome Syndicate. He knows all the trivia. The properties of the Troll Vanquishing Mace, and even what kind of snack Custard, the Gnome of the West, prefers. But when the book’s author disappears in a cloud of smoke, and Buck’s little sister disappears into a bottomless dumpster, Buck realizes that the world of gnomes and trolls might really exist. What the heck? As it turns out, the real Custard needs Buck’s help to find the Troll Vanquishing Mace. And Buck needs to find his sister. So Buck and his best friend Lizzie set off on an adventure that would make any fan’s head spin. But it seems the books did not tell the whole truth about this not-so-make-believe world. Buck soon discovers that real life doesn’t work like a story, and the heroes and villains might not be who they seem. Holy trolls! What’s a super fan to do? Buck is about to fulfill the ultimate fantasy: going on adventures with his favorite characters, and getting the chance to save the world. Assuming he can figure out whose side he’s really on.

Space-farmer Rae Darling is kidnapped and trained to become a warrior against her own people in this adventurous middle grade space western that “will lasso readers and have them hoping for a sequel” (Booklist). Rae Darling and her family are colonists on a moon so obscure it doesn’t merit a name. Life is hard, water is scarce, and the farm work she does is grueling. But Rae and her sister Temple are faced with an added complication—being female is a serious liability in their strict society. Even worse, the Cheese—the colonists’ name for the native people on the moon—sometimes kidnap girls from the human colony. And when Rae’s impetuous actions disrupt the fragile peace, the Cheese come for her and Temple. Though Rae and Temple are captives in the Cheese society, they are shocked to discover a community full of kindness and acceptance. Where the human colonists subjugated women, the Cheese train the girls to become fierce warriors. Over time, Temple forgets her past and becomes one of the Cheese, but Rae continues to wonder where her loyalties truly lie. When her training is up, will she really be able to raid her former colony? Can she kidnap other girls, even if she might be recruiting them to a better life? When a Cheese raid goes wrong and the humans retaliate, Rae’s loyalty is put to the ultimate test. Can Rae find a way to restore peace—and preserve both sides of herself?

Arcwhistle Goldpulley has everything a gnome technowizard could want and more. He's just successfully defended his after-post thesis on harnessing the metamagical residuals of energetic creation and destruction, along with a dramatic demonstration of an application of his theory, one which only blew up two learning halls on campus, and completed his formal education as a master archmage. He is a successful paratechnologist, a gnomish master of blending magic and science, often to explosive effect. He has developed and licensed many significant inventions ranging from autonomous eyebrow trimmers to anti-light anti-sunglasses. He has contributed significantly to several branches of metamagical thought and theory and continues to do so. He is, in short, a gnome who has it all. But, after graduating with honors more times than he cares to count from TINKER, the Tellanon Institute of Noetic Knowledge, Education, and Research, Arcwhistle is faced with a problem, one which has no easy answer. What is he going to do with the rest of his life? How is he going to live a life with meaning outside school? What is he to do beyond his lab and his research? Where's the spark? That is until he discovers a new opportunity... the life of a secret agent gnome. Armed with his paratechnological skills and a not-so-secret identity, can Arcwhistle thwart the efforts of ANGST, a group of gnome terrorists Abyss-bent on spreading universal entropy, before they destroy Tellanon, the seat of paratechnological society, undermine gnomish civilization, and ruin dessert for everyone? Gnomeggedon is a quirky, humorous high-fantasy story set in the larger Ea'ae macroverse. No gnomes were harmed in the writing of this book.

An incredible story of losing, growing, and healing, from the acclaimed author of House Arrest. Amelia Peabody lives in a small town where nothing changes. And that's just fine by her. After losing her big sister, Clara, a few years ago, Amelia can't handle any more change. But when she starts eighth grade, she accidentally receives a letter that Clara had written to herself. In it, there's a list of things she'd wanted to do before the end of middle school and never finished, like get on the softball team and throw an awesome birthday party on the lake.Amelia wonders if it's a sign from Clara. Maybe if she completed the list, her heart would stop hurting so much, and she could go back to being her old self. But as she makes her way through, Amelia finds that there's no going back, only forward. And she realizes she'll have to put her own spin on Clara's list to grow and change in the ways she needs to.K. A. Holt's beautiful new novel is about grieving and growing up, and the ripples loss creates for a girl, a family, and a community.

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“Moving . . . Readers will nod their heads in sympathy with this guy who breaks the rules for all of the right reasons.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year Indiana Too Good to Miss State Reading List 2018 Timothy is on probation. It’s a strange word—something that happens to other kids, to delinquents, not to kids like him. And yet, he is under house arrest for the next year. He must check in weekly with a probation officer and a therapist, and keep a journal for an entire year. And mostly, he has to stay out of trouble. But when he must take drastic measures to help his struggling family, staying out of trouble proves more difficult than Timothy ever thought it would be. By turns touching and funny, and always original, House Arrest is a middle grade novel in verse about one boy’s path to redemption as he navigates life with a sick brother, a grieving mother, and one tough probation officer. “This gripping novel in verse evokes a wide variety of emotional responses, as it is serious and funny, thrilling and touching, sweet and snarky.” —School Library Journal “Touches of humor lighten the mood, and Holt’s firsthand knowledge of the subject adds depth to this poignant drama without overwhelming it.” —Publishers Weekly “Readers . . . will appreciate Holt’s lessons of compassion and family above all.” —Booklist “House Arrest will hit home with young boys and girls, especially if they have ever dealt with an ill relative. The story is touching, warm, and impressive.” —Kid Lit Reviews